Approximately 250 million calls are made to 9-1-1 in the U.S. each year. In many areas, 80% of these calls now come from mobile devices. Basic 9-1-1 means that, when the three-digit number is dialed, a dispatcher in a local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) answers the call. The emergency and its location can be communicated by voice between the caller and the dispatcher, and the dispatcher then activates the appropriate emergency responders (e.g., police, fire department, emergency medical services, etc.).
In areas that provide “enhanced 9-1-1” services, calls can be automatically routed to the proper PSAP for the caller's location, and the PSAP has the equipment and database information to automatically obtain the caller's phone number and address. The vast majority of U.S. counties with 9-1-1 coverage also has enhanced 9-1-1 features.
The inventors hereof have recognized, however, that current 9-1-1 system lags behind many modern technologies. For example, although a newly launched “text-to-9-1-1” program now allows users to send text messages to reach dispatchers from a mobile phone or device, the technology is only available in limited locations.
Certain commercial software purports to bridge this gap with so-called “9-1-1 apps,” but these applications misleadingly hold themselves out as replacing or augmenting official 9-1-1 services. In reality, when using a third-party application, the caller's information must be relayed to a PSAP by a private call center in order to get help, therefore presenting significant problems for PSAPs, and putting people at risk.